How to photograph cats: 19 professional tips

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Keep your camera close at hand and be prepared to climb a tree for a rare shot.

1. Always keep your camera ready

This is the only way to capture an animal in an unusual situation. You never know at what moment you will stumble upon a cat of a rare color doing something incredibly funny.

2. Get attention

Cats have different personality traits and react differently to the same actions, but they are all insanely curious. So this is one of the ways to get the animal to follow you and do what you want.

Tap with your fingers, rub with paper or dry leaves, throw a pebble so that the cat is where you need it. After that, just grab his attention with some sound and take a photo.

3. Be patient

The chance of getting the cat to do what you want is 50%. Therefore, do not be discouraged if it does not work out the first time. Remember, if your model doesn't want to follow you, you can't force her. So just wait.

4. Think about what you want to shoot

But then again, accept that it may not work the first time. Accept that cats are not always willing to work with you - this is their nature.

5. Set up your camera in advance

You must initially know what effect you want to achieve. No matter how dexterous you are with your camera, cats are always one step ahead.

If you are photographing an animal in a stationary position, it is better to use manual camera settings. If you are shooting a running or jumping cat, you can switch to automatic mode.

Ideal settings for motion pictures:

• focus mode: 3D tracking;
• shutter speed: 1/1000 seconds or faster;
• aperture: f / 5.6.

6. Choose the right lens

One of the best options for capturing a moving cat is a 105mm f / 2.8 lens. If the animal lets you close to him, then a 35- or 50-mm glass with an aperture of f / 1.8 is perfect.

7. Use natural light

It is best suited for photographing cats climbing trees and playing in the grass. If the sun is low above the horizon, then the light will be soft, and there will be no shadows on the animal's face and fur.

8. Try not to use flash

She can easily distract the animal and even scare him. If there is nothing without a flash, then use an external one - remove it from the camera or point it up. Got a softbox? Fine. It will help get rid of unnecessary shadows.

9. Don't feed the animal

This applies to cases when you want to capture a cat on the move. Who will enjoy running and jumping on a full stomach?

10. Focus on the eyes

This is the first thing we look at in photographs, so it is very important that they are sharp. If your eyes are in the viewfinder, focus on them.

11. Consider the environment

Use available items to keep the shot from looking blank. If you shoot a cat between trees or, for example, coming out of his house, it will add a photo of depth.

12. Achieve bokeh effect

Shoot the animal against a backdrop of small illuminated details, such as the foliage of a tree, to achieve a blur effect and make the main subject stand out.

13. Remember contrast

It is important that the cat's fur does not merge with its surroundings. If, for example, the animal is light, let the background be dark.

14. Take photos from a low point

Try to show the world around you through the eyes of the person you're filming. If you lower the camera low enough, you can capture the beast as a real hunter who hunts down its prey.

15. Take off the yawning cat

When a cat wakes up, it yawns about 34 times. This is the right moment to take a memorable shot.

16. Do not make noise if you want to photograph a sleeping cat

Even if it seems that the animal is sleeping soundly and nothing can wake him up, this is not so. The slightest noise can ruin everything. If your pet wakes up, it is very unlikely that he will return to the funny position that you liked so much.

17. Keep your distance

If you see a cat or a group of cats playing, don't interfere. Just find the perfect location to shoot and wait until the moment is right to press the button.

18. Experiment with angles

Try to photograph from different angles so that each next shot is different from the last. Be prepared to fall into grass or mud, climb a tree. Do your best to get the results you want.

19. Come up with a name for the photo

To make the picture memorable for everyone who looks at it, come up with a good name. So a simple image of a cat will immediately turn into a full-fledged story.